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This weeks parasha is entitled Tzav, which means “Give the command”.  Adonai commands Moses concerning how various offerings are to be carried out. In turn, Moses commands Aaron and his sons as to how they are to carry out their priestly duties. From Levitiucs 6 -8:31 Adonai outlines the laws of the grain offering, sin offering and peace offerings, how fat and blood should not be eaten, the portion that Aaron and his sons will receive, and finally how Aaron and his sons are to be consecrated.

The Law of the Burnt Offering

It is called this because this offering required that the animal be completely consumed by a fire except for the crop of feathers of a bird or the skin of the bull which was part of the portion that went to the priests. Just as the Lord had a specific way He wanted the Israelis to prepare the Passover Lamb, He also had a specific way in which the nation was to appear before Him and offer this sacrifice. This offering signified a complete dedication and consecration to the Lord. It was an offering for the repentance from sins committed, with the desire to be purged from the guilt of sinful acts. It acted as a demonstration of the sinner’s desire to repent and be obedient, and indicated his dedication to the worship of the Holy Three-in-One God. At the same time the sacrifice was intended to symbolize a meal between God and the one offering it, where peace and friendship was displayed by sharing that meal together.

It’s interesting to note that one of the commandments here is that a fire should always be kept burning at the altar; It was never to go out. Some Christian denominations still retain a variation on this practice to this day. In many churches you will find the “vigilance candle” which burns throughout the week and is changed every Sunday morning so that it will continue to burn throughout the coming week. I wonder how many Christians realize that this practice originated in biblical Judaism.

The Lord continues through chapters 6 and 7 to lay out the specifics of the sin, trespass, and peace offerings. All of these offerings were completely voluntary and were meant to bring the people closer to the living God because where our heart is, so too will our giving be. God loved the world so much that He gave. And not just anything but His one and only Son. In that same spirit, if we love the Lord, we should be willing to give Him the things that He asks. For the people of Moses’ time it was bulls, goats and rams. Today He asks for our obedience to Him and that we follow the example of His Son, Messiah Yeshua, whom He sent.

Fat and Blood May Not Be Eaten

I love how the things that the Lord commands are beneficial to us and bring Him glory both at the same time. The Jewish dietary laws are good in that if you follow them, you will tend to be healthier. As Moses and the people of Israel observed and obeyed the laws given by Adonai, they were first beneficial to the people, and at the same time honoring to God. The prohibition against eating fat and blood was first beneficial, because it is unhealthy to consume fat or blood. By the same token, these were the choicest parts of the sacrifice, because in the blood there is life, and without blood or fat, a person cannot sustain life; therefore, these were to be given to Adonai, the Author of Life.

Verses 28 through 37 in Chapter 7 cover the portion that was to be given to Aaron and his sons.  The worshiper made a peace offering from his sacrifice so that the Lord received the blood and the fat, the priests received the breast and the right thigh, and the worshiper could use the rest for himself. The wave offerings discussed in verses 30-32 were symbolic acts indicating that the offering was for the Lord. Wave offerings could include bread, meat, oil or grain. Even gold might be given as a wave offering (Exodus 38:24).

Aaron and His Sons Consecrated

To consecrate something means to make or declare something sacred or set apart, or to dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose. In chapter 8, Aaron and his sons were consecrated to be the first in a long line of priests of Israel. Before the time of Aaron, the patriarchs and the fathers had offered sacrifices to God. But with the ordination (in Hebrew, smicha) of Aaron and his sons, the sacrificial rituals of Israel became more formalized with a fully prescribed priestly service.

This consecration not only set Aaron apart from the rest of the congregation to be a priest to God, but also distinguished him from the other priests, to be the Kohayn HaGadol – the High Priest. This ceremony would eventually be repeated each time a new priest was installed into office. They were formally consecrated first by washing, which would signify their being cleansed of their sins, and reminds me of the way Messianic Jews and Christians are immersed in water when we decide to become part of the body of Messiah.

Moses, acting on God’s behalf, then clothed Aaron in his High Priestly garments which was a foreshadowing of the glories of Messiah. He was then anointed, the oil being poured on his head. This separated him from his sons in a special way, as in their case the anointing oil from the altar was sprinkled on them. They then fulfilled the duties and responsibilities that had been prescribed by Adonai Himself. The parasha concludes by saying that Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.

I have spoken to many followers of Yeshua who read the Bible from cover to cover, and who love to read Genesis and Exodus; but things tend to slow down a bit when we get to Leviticus. At first glance, Leviticus seems like a detailed instruction book that doesn’t much apply to modern-day followers of Yeshua. But a more careful look at Leviticus with fresh eyes reveals it to be just as relevant today as it was almost 3,000 years ago.

When asked, Yeshua said that the most important commandment was to love the Lord with all of your heart soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. Adonai has been trying to drive home these two principles since the beginning of time. We see this in the words of Leviticus 6 where Adonai is concerned about how we treat our neighbor, admonishing us not to lie to our neighbor, or steal from him.

The various offerings described in these three chapters anticipated Messiah’s provision and show us a sample of His character. The Burnt Offering shows us Messiah’s provision of atonement. The requirement that the animals being offered be spotless foreshadowed Messiah’s sinless nature. The Grain Offering shows us Messiah’s dedication and consecration, and reminds us how He was wholly devoted to the Father’s purpose. The Peace Offering which brought reconciliation and fellowship with God shows that Messiah was at peace with the Father, and enabled us to be at peace with Him too. The Sin Offering and Trespass Offering, each of which were provisions of appeasement, symbolized the future substitution that Messiah Himself would provide, at such great cost to Himself, in order to bring us redemption.

I am absolutely grateful for the atoning sacrifice of our Messiah, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach. His sacrifice achieved what none of the animal sacrifices ever could. During the existence of the Temple, Israel had a line of sinful priests, but Messiah is the sinless and ultimate High Priest. Where the sacrifice of bulls, goats and rams were temporary and only good for a year, the sacrifice of Messiah was eternal and all-sufficient.

In God’s arrangement with Israel the principal work of a priest was to offer sacrifice and, on the basis of his sacrificial work, to extend blessings to the people. Yeshua who is our ultimate High Priest offered Himself as a sacrifice and God the Father accepted it, thus paving the way for all who believe in Him and transfer their loyalty to Him to be blessed with the awesome gift of salvation. To this I humbly say Hallelu-Yah!!!!!

May Adonai bless you all this Shabbat!